Fantastic Food

            If you read my previous post, you "heard" me drool over this recipe in the middle of getting to another recipe.  Yeah, when I mentioned pumpkin it made me think of this coffee cake again, and I couldn't help the dribble of drool that escaped out of the corner of my mouth.  Sorry for the details there...                                         Anyway, this is a great use for any pumpkin puree you have, whether it's opened already or not.  It's seriously good.  My daughter even made the semi-blasphemous statement that we should probably just replace pumpkin pie with this cake at thanksgiving this year!  That's going pretty far of course, because you know....TRADITION! TRADITION! (Fiddler on the Roof anyone?). But she's right that it is that good.        You should give i...

 I did it again.  I opened a big can of pumpkin.  Of course I didn't use it all--I never do unless I'm making pumpkin pie (does anyone  ever use it all?).  I made pumpkin pancakes, then pumpkin spice syrup, then pumpkin coffee cake (drool).  And then I had about 1/3 cup of pumpkin puree left....  It's like it never ends!  And I didn't want anymore sweet pumpkin foods.  So I brainstormed.  I remembered a couple of years ago when I was trying to lose baby weight that I made some sweet potatoes with black beans, green chiles, and lots of cumin.  Well, pumpkin is pretty silimar to sweet potato flavor, so I decided to whip up some quesadillas.  I didn't have black beans on hand, so I pulled out a can of small white beans instead.  A little tillamook cheddar added in there, and it was just delicious! A great use for that leftover, less-than-a-cup pumpkin puree.   Ingredients: Corn Tortillas (12 ish) 4 oz. Diced green c...

 So soup is one of my favorite family meals.  Whole meal in one pot? Yes please!  We eat it year-round because it's easy and hearty and delicious.  Even during the peak of summer heat you can bet I'll be cooking soup at least once a week (sooo thankful for AC!).  This particular soup recipe I have cooked a few times, and while I've tried it with a variety of different ingredients, I think I hit on the perfect  combination this last time.  Everyone was raving about it (except my husband, who happens to be trying an all-meat diet currently and had to pass on the soup for a giant steak; yes, he's crazy), and after I finished I was looking forward to eating more of it the next day for lunch (and it did not disappoint the second time either).  Ya'll should give it a try for sure... Ingredients: 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil 1 13 oz. package smoked andouille sausage, thinly sliced 4-5 cloves garlic, chopped 1 yellow onion, diced 2 stalks celery, diced 3 medium...

 Sugar cookies--so buttery and sugary and...well, just super yum.  But who has time for all the work of making sugar cookies?  The dough, the refrigerating, the rolling, cutting, frosting, and decorating....  Blah! Not me!  These bars are our go-to when we need sugar cookies for anything.  And they are a crowd pleaser, let me tell you!  I've had people ask me to make them for wedding receptions.  They are sooo good and sooooooo much easier than making individual sugar cookies.  I don't even remember the last time I made actual sugar cookies because there's really no point anymore when we all love the bars and I love how easy they are.   This recipe is originally from Our Best Bites .  They have great recipes there.  I have tweaked this recipe to my preferences though.   Cookie Ingredients : 1 cup butter, softened 1 cup sugar 1 egg 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1/2 Tbs. almond extract 3 cups flour, lightly spooned  ...

We went to my in-law's home a year ago or so (no I don't hate them, they just live a 10 hour drive from me!) and my MIL made sausage pot pie.  I'd only ever had chicken pot pie, which, most of the time, I thought was just "okay".  The sausage pot pie was yummy.  My kids thought it was a gift sent from God from His own table.  My son loved it so much he requested it for his birthday dinner (a good 10 months from then).  And then every month he would bring it up again that he still wanted that for his birthday.  Well the pie was  really good, so I asked my MIL for the recipe.  I'll give you the bad news first:  It had canned EVERYTHING, the worst being a can of mushroom soup.  And store-bought pie crusts. First of all, store-bought crust tastes like cardboard.  It just does, so no thank you.  Also, I sorta have a thing against cooking with canned soups.  I'm not 100% sure why, but I think it is a "must cook from scratch" ...

I really like muffins, but I rarely feel like making them when I get up in the morning.  Every time I do end up making them, though, I always decide I am going to make them every week because they're so good!  Obviously I am a lazy person (isn't it obvious?!), so that inevitably falls through by the time "next week" comes around...  But I'm here today because I, of course, again loved the muffins I got up and made after not making muffins for several months.  Truth:  I only made them this time because of the riiiipe bananas rotting on my counter and no other ideas on what to make that day.  You should make them though--every week :). I'm going to.  Maybe... Craisin Pecan Banana Muffins with Whole Wheat Ingredients: 1 1/3 cups whole wheat flour 2/3 cup white flour 1/2 cup rolled oats 2 tsp. cinnamon  1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. coarse salt (or a little less than 1/2 tsp of table salt) 3 mashed bananas (ab...

"Hmmm, two pasta recipes in a row?" you say.  You must say that because you haven't been following every post and don't already know from the previous post that I accidentally-on-purpose bought too much tortellini at the store.  While Carbonara is most often made with long, slender pasta like spaghetti, linguine, fettucine, etc.....well, I had to do something  with that tortellini!  I therefore give you use #2 for cheese tortellini you need to use up--Carbonara. Now don't get too wigged out by the fact that the sauce in this recipe is made from eggs that will  appear to not be cooked.  We don't judge based on looks around here, so I'll thank you to conform to that while using this recipe.  The eggs are tempered , which essentially means that they are not raw, but sorta look that way still.  I promise it is delicious.  But if you need the reassurance, mentally, that you aren't eating raw eggs, I give you my solemn assurance.  Now you ma...

You know that time when you went to Costco and....  Need I say more?  Don't you always buy something you didn't intend to buy when you go there?  Those darn samples, they get me every time!  So there was this time I went to that accursed place that I both love and hate, and I ended up buying a huge package of fresh cheese tortellini.  The package was so big they had to split it into two packages.  Oh America...  Anyway, I had to come up with a great idea for this pasta, because of course I bought it impulsively with no plan whatsoever besides, "this is good.  must eat again."  (Sometimes when I eat delicious food, it takes over brain function and I sound a little bit like a caveman...)  Everyone knows that when you need a good idea, you go to the World of Good Ideas Only (aka Pinterest), where anything you try will always turn out (I realize it's hard to sense sarcasm through text, but I'm counting on your common sense to know when I'm ...

You know that elusive, best-ever, chocolate chip cookie recipe?  Yeah I don't know where that is because everyone has a different idea of what the best cookie is.  And that's okay!  Variety is the spice of life.  If you don't love what I love, that's fine! I'll judge and think you're crazy, but we will both survive.  You'll go on loving gross cookies, and I'll go on loving the good stuff.  And we will both, somehow, be happy with that.  If you ever want to try the good stuff, it'll be right here for you.  And so will I.  Maybe.  I'm not as forgiving as these best-ever chocolate chip cookies.... INGREDIENTS: 4 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. kosher salt 3 sticks (or 1 1/2 cups) butter, softened 1 cup granulated suger 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed 2 eggs 1 Tbs vanilla extract 1 cup dark chocolate chips 1 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips DIRECTIONS: 1) Preheat oven to 350/375 F....

Spinach in waffles?  Gross, right? Only for people trying to lose weight, right?  WRONG.  Right? Okay, I see how thoroughly confused you are now.  And I know what you're thinking: "wait, she can see me?? Creep!"  Oh, you weren't thinking that? Weird, you should be--that IS creepy.  But I digress...we were speaking of spinach in a standard, non-spinachy food.  The thing is, it's SOOOO good you guys!  I even made regular waffles side by side to compare, and my kids (my KIDS!) said the spinach ones were better (cue jaw drop, gasp, and fake fainting spell).  Full disclosure, one (out of 6) of the kids said they were gross, but she refused to actually taste any, so we just won't pay any attention to her.  She's kind of in the middle anyway, so she's used to it.... (cue awkward, judging silence from the reader).  Even if you're kids refuse to taste them, though, you have to be a grown-up and at least try them.  Try them, you will se...

Just a warning: you might go into a sugar coma if you make these, because they are VERY hard to stop eating, even though they are really rich! Ingredients BROWNIES: 1 cup plus 3 tbs. butter 3/4 cup cocoa powder 4 large eggs 2 cups sugar 1 & 1/2 cups flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 1 tsp vanilla extract 2/3 cup chocolate chips   FROSTING: 8 tbs butter, softened 2 & 2/3 cup powdered sugar 1/2 cup cocoa powder 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 tbs to 1/4 cup milk 1/2 cup chocolate chips, melted Directions 1. Heat oven to 350 F.  In a saucepan, melt butter.  Stir in sugar and cocoa, then remove from heat and allow to cool.  In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.  Once chocolate mixture has cooled a bit, crack eggs into chocolate mixture and quickly mix in with fork or whisk (don't let the eggs cook on the warm mixture!) 2. Add vanilla to chocolate mixture, then combine flour mixture with chocolate mixture.  Fold in ...

I just went looking for a good clam chowder recipe because I was craving it, and I found this one that was really easy and yummy.  I added 2 ribs of chopped celery in at the same time as the onion, but that was the only change from the original recipe.  It was a big hit with the family! Recipe from damndelicious.net INGREDIENTS: 4 slices bacon, diced 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 onion, diced 2 ribs celery, chopped* 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 cup milk 1 cup vegetable stock 2 (6.5-ounce) cans chopped clams, juices reserved 1 bay leaf 2 russet potatoes, peeled and diced 1 cup half and half Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves *Optional DIRECTIONS: Heat a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving 1 tablespoon ex...

This is a tasty, quick, easy, and super healthy meal.  It can be the main dish, or it can be a filler for pita bread or a topping for salad greens. INGREDIENTS: 1 15 oz. can cannelini beans, rinsed and drained 1 6 oz. can tuna, drained 1 scallion, or 1/4 cup red onion diced 6 or 7 grape tomatoes, chopped 2 tbs. olive oil 1 1/2 tbs. balsamic vinegar 1 tbs. capers 1-2 clove garlic, minced 1 tbs. fresh basil, chopped (or 1 tsp. dried) salt & pepper to taste DIRECTIONS: 1) In medium bowl, shred drained tuna. 2) To the tuna, add the beans, scallion/onion, tomatoes, capers, garlic & basil. 3) Whisk together olive oil and vinegar until well-mixed.  Add to tuna mixture. 4) Salt and pepper to taste Serve room temperature or chilled.

Total time: 20 minutes INGREDIENTS: 3 medium carrots, sliced 2 celery ribs, chopped 1/2 large onion, chopped 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped 1/2 cup chopped onion 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil 2-3 cans (15-1/2 ounces each) garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained 6 cups chicken broth 2 cups cubed fully cooked ham 1/2 tablespoon chili powder 3 cloves minced garlic 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 bay leaf salt to taste INSTRUCTIONS: In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and bell pepper in butter until tender.  Stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cook for 15 minutes or until heated through. Discard bay leaf.                                 Yield:  7 servings.

Total time: 30 min. INGREDIENTS: 1 Tbs. Olive oil 2 Tbs. fresh ginger, chopped or grated 2 cloves garlic, chopped 8 scallions sliced, green parts separated from white parts 1 Tbs. sweet curry powder 1/2 tsp. hot curry powder 5 medium carrots, peeled and sliced 1 russet potato, peeled & cubed into bite-size pieces 1 cup red lentils (or any color is fine) 1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded (or cubed into small pieces) 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth 2/3 cup pumpkin (canned is fine) 1/3 cup tomato sauce 2 tsp. soy sauce Salt & pepper naan bread, peanuts, & lime wedges for serving coconut milk (optional) DIRECTIONS: Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, ginger, and scallion whites, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until softened. Stir in curry powders. Add carrots, potatoes, lentils, chicken broth, 1 tsp. salt & 1/4 tsp. pepper, pumpkin, soy sauce, & tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer...

These cookies are so good!  I don't usually like no-bake that much, but these are way yummy.  And not overly sweet.  The recipe I adapted to fit what I wanted called for 2 cups of sugar.  These have half of that and more chocolate flavor because there is twice as much cocoa powder (hence the dark chocolate).  Rich and tasty, without making you sick! (always a bonus in my book)  Plus there's protein from the milk and peanut butter, lots of fiber from the oats, and healthy fats from the coconut oil.  They're practically not even a dessert once you add all those things together, so bon appetit ;)  Ingredients: 1 cup sugar (could try honey or agave!) 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup coconut oil 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 2 3/4 cups old-fashioned oats 1/2 cup peanut butter (I prefer Adam's crunchy peanut butter) 1 Tbs vanilla extract 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 cup-3/4 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips (optional) Directions: 1. Prepare a baking sheet...

I think this is called 5 minute bread because it literally takes about 5 minutes to mix it up.  However, rising time and "curing" time can be anywhere from 2 1/2 hours to 14 days.  Just a heads up Recipe from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg & Zoe Francois Ingredients 3 c. lukewarm water 1 1/2 tbs yeast 1 1/2 tbs kosher salt 6 1/2 c. unsifted flour (white or wheat) Directions : Add all ingredients to mixer or regular mixing bowl (add flour all at once, measuring it into your measuring cup by gently scooping it with a spoon and leveling off--do not press flour down, it throws off measurements).   Mix with a wooden spoon or in your mixer until everything is well incorporated.  Don't knead the dough, it isn't necessary.  Dough will be wet and loose enough to conform to bowl. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap (but not airtight, because the pressure will become to great, and the lid could explode off) and allow to ...

I got to try this recipe at a relief society activity, and it was delicious.  I am putting it on here so I know where to find it when I decide to make it :)   Ingredients: 1 cup uncooked quinoa 2 Tbs olive oil 1 Large onion, chopped 5 stalks celery, chopped 5 medium carrots, peeled & sliced 6 sweet peppers, seeded & chopped 1 zucchini, quartered & sliced 2 yellow zucchini, quartered and sliced 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced pinch of salt 32 oz. broth (chicken or vegetable) 2 15oz. cans diced tomatoes 2 cans white beans, drained & rinsed 2 Tbs ground cumin 1 1/2 Tbs chili powder 1 tsp hot sauce 1 tsp fresh lime juice Salt & pepper to taste Garlic salt to taste Parsley to taste Directions:  Saute onion, celery, peppers, carrots, and squash until softened, then add broth, beans, spices, and quinoa.  simmer 20 minutes or until quinoa is cooked through.  

I've been trying to cut out processed foods as much as possible from our diet and was looking for a way to use up a few of the 40 apples I have sitting in my fridge taking up valuable space, and I came across this amazing whole-grain, healthy breakfast muffin.  Low sugar, lots of fiber and flavor.  This is definitely my all-time favorite apple-muffin recipe I've made, so I had to add it to the blog so I know where to find it next time.  I hope you like it too... Recipe by Cookieandkate.com Ingredients 1¼ cups whole wheat flour 1¼ cups old-fashioned oats 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon cardamom ⅛ teaspoon ginger 1 cup unsweetened applesauce ½ cup light coconut milk with the juice of half a lemon (or low fat buttermilk) ½ cup packed muscovado sugar (or brown sugar) 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil (or vegetable/canola oil) 1 large egg, lightly beaten ½ teaspoon vanilla extract 2 small Gala ...

Ingredients 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup yellow cornmeal 1/4 cup sugar 2 tablespoons baking powder 2 teaspoons kosher salt 2 cups milk 3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra to grease the pan 8 ounces aged extra-sharp Cheddar, grated, divided 1/3 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts, plus extra for garnish, 3 scallions 3 tablespoons seeded and minced fresh jalapeno peppers Directions: Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and butter. With a wooden spoon, stir the wet ingredients into the dry until most of the lumps are dissolved. Don't overmix! Mix in 2 cups of the grated Cheddar, the scallions and jalapenos, and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking pan. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smo...